Tributes

"We cannot part with our friends;
we cannot let our angels go."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Behind the richly tragic character of Roger Thorpe, one always suspected, was an actor who himself was a man of great depths of soul. Otherwise, how could he have imbued a character so dastardly with so much passion, such fierceness of loyalty to family, so crackling a wit, such rueful regret, such breathtaking tenderness -- that surely went far beyond even the best of scripts written for him.

When ALS pushed the "Roger mask" away, and Michael Zaslow chose to live the rest of his days as a tireless crusader on behalf of PALS, the real man emerged in the public eye, a man of rare courage and generosity of spirit. I feel privileged to have witnessed the example of his life, even from the distance of a fan. And I'm grateful to the Zaslow family and his dear friends for their example of "for better or for worse, in sickness and in health," a true love story.

Kay Freeman

After Beverlee McKinsey, Michael Zaslow was the main reason I became a fan of Guiding Light. And ever since I started watching GL daily (in 1992), Roger was the main reason I kept watching, no matter how bad the show got. When Procter & Gamble fired Mr. Zaslow last year, my heart really left GL. But at the same time, Michael Zaslow went from being a favorite actor to a personal hero.

I suffer from a genetic disorder called Marfan Syndrome. Since I was old enough to understand, I've known that I could die without a moment's notice. It has given me a very deep faith in God and a sensitivity to the suffering of others. In the 80s, my parents were very active in advocacy and support groups for Marfan Syndrome and other genetic disorders. Seven years ago, my mother was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. I know what it's like to be disabled by a terrible disease, to be the object of people's cruelty and insensitivity, and to care for someone with a terminal illness. And I know what it's like to fight for a cause, particularly for the rights and health care of the disabled. When Michael Zaslow became an advocate for people with ALS, he became one of my personal heroes, and a hero for all who suffer debilitating illnesses.

I refuse to say "good-bye" to Michael Zaslow, even though the phrase is a contraction of "God be with ye." I hope to see Michael in Heaven someday, face-to-face, in a perfect body, no longer ravaged by ALS.

And in the meantime, I will continue to pray for him, as I have throughout his illness. And I will say, with all the rest,

"Go under the mercy, Zas. We love you."

--JC

As both a fan and admirer of Mr. Zaslow, I, too, am deeply saddened and shocked by his death. Oddly enough I felt that I had lost a friend. He is, and was, the only Roger Thorpe and David Renaldi. I first saw him on One Life to Live and was very disappointed when he left the show. Imagine by delight when I found him on Guiding Light. I feel so bad that the producers of GL replaced him in his time of crisis. However, OLTL did it right. This man had a talent, a brilliance, and a beauty that cannot be replaced. He will be missed terribly. I hope that GL will end the character of Roger Thorpe and give back the dignity and chance that were not accorded to him. God Bless all his family, friends, and co-workers on both shows who supported him and loved him.

God Bless You, Mr.Zaslow. May God watch over you in heaven with the rest of the angels.

Debbie Pettit

Years ago, Michael Zaslow and his wife came as clients to a video post production house where I was working. They were putting together some kind of video reel. I don't think anyone there but me knew who he was, but in no time at all, everyone female and gay male in the place were falling over each other to take care of him.

He was just so dear and sweet and polite and considerate and unassuming and handsome and charismatic and just about any other complimentary adjective you can come up with. He was also obviously very much in love with his wife, to the dismay of many. (Like any of us had a chance!) :)

I never forgot that visit. Michael made an impact on me as Roger on GL. He made an even bigger impact on me as a wonderful person the one time I met him.

I think we will all miss him dearly.

carol

...Michael Zaslow was one of the most talented actors ever. He will be greatly missed - by his friends, his family, his soap fans and anyone else who saw him act in plays, etc. Shame on Guiding Light for not thinking the viewers would want to see him as his illness progressed. Their treatment of him was unforgiveable. One Life to Live is to be applauded in showing him the understanding, compassion and support that he needed at such a difficult time. Guess we all know now which soap ( and everyone associated with it, especially the executive producers, sponsors, etc.) has more class and dignity.

I am truly saddened by Michael's death. I knew him best as David Renaldi, and as was mentioned before, besides being so talented he was probably the handsomest actor on soaps ever. But beyond that, he had a presence that kept you glued to the screen. Michael showed what an incredibly dignified and courageous man he was by sharing with all of us his ordeal and not being afraid to let us know that even if he could not speak or walk, it was still him in that body consumed by his disease. Even though it broke your heart to see him that way, his tremendous spirit helped lift your soul . The way he dealt with his illness will do a lot to raise awareness about ALS and maybe someday result in research that will find a cure. This legacy will do a lot to ease our pain at losing him.

My heartfelt sympathy to his wife and children and to all his friends and co-workers at One Life to Live, who showed that when the going got tough, they stood by Michael to the end. God bless all of them and God bless Michael for such a wonderful life, career, and for bringing such happiness to so many people for over 25 years. May he now rest in peace and be comforted and happy in Heaven.

We will all miss you forever, Michael.

Love, Emily

So this may sound silly, but I've spent the past week trying to pinpoint a favorite scene with Roger. There isn't just one that I can single out! His character was always a favorite of mine, Michael Zaslow's portrayal always hitting home. It feels so LONG since I've seen Roger, he's like a family friend. I wish I had watched more of his work the final year that he was on, but I Fast Forwarded through most of his stuff due to lack of storyline and the loopy gaslighting story with Dinah, Hart and Roger. I NEVER EVEN NOTICED that the man was having speaking problems until he was gone from the show and it came out "why". Now, in the FEW flashbacks with Zas that have been shown, I see it and it's obvious. But isn't it ironic that "the wizened little old man" never lost his sex appeal or charisma to me in his last year? It was The Powers That Be and the writing that deterred me from one of my all time favorite characters.

But there is one thing that I will miss and have missed for quite some time. Remember when GL did the closing credits with pics of the whole cast? I always found it fitting that Zas/Roger was the last face/character we saw. As if to say Roger was getting the last laugh. And I HATED it when Kim Zimmer returned, and bumped him back a space. Told you it was silly! When I learned of his death Monday, I was deeply saddened. Not many deaths have effected me this much. I felt that I/we had lost a friend that was irreplaceable, much too soon.....and that I would never get to see Roger get the last laugh again.

I'll miss you Michael, and I hope you are now WOWING the angels as much as you wowed me for years on Guiding Light! I got "addicted" to soaps eight years ago. Guess who first drew me to them? Yup, it was Michael during the Mindy/Roger affair storyline. It got me hooked to Guiding Light, and slowly, I began to watch all of CBS' lineup. With him gone, Guiding Light just doesn't have the same spark.

Tanya

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